The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-21
The Insane Asylum Rottenness.

/ To thu Editor OF the Indianapolis Journal.
l see that the Sentinel's mind is still empty of
all original thought regarding the management
of the Insane Hospital and the conduct of Gov
arnor Gray in supersedng Harrison and Gapen.
! 1t can only echo other voices of the Democracy
which not restrained by the Same personal
fear. This time the quotation is from the
Rushvile Jacksonian, and is follows
| ''THE PERFORMERS SHOWED UP
Several prominent citizens of Nashville,
1 Tenn, visited Indianapolis, last Tuesday. to
/ visit the charitable institutions of the city.
| They had been selected by citizens of that city
| to visit institutions of that kind in Louisville
and Chicago and had been at those places.
| They said the asylums at indianapolis were the
| most complete they had visited. and that the
men in charge of them were wise and compe-
tent That shows the rascality of the House
| investi CATION, and the Republican campaign
! cvil-scrvice investigation report"
This 'vindication" Is even more grotesque than
the visit of the State Board of Health, last fall
where few hours inspection regarded
| sufficient to refute charges of corruption ard
| cruelty extending over many years. This visit,
| last Tuesday, convinces the prominent citizens
| of Nashville that the men in charge are s'wse
| and competent" AS mind-readers and judges of
| character the citizens of Nashville deserve i'm
mortality. But the question is which of the
| men in charge do they meant Is it Hall, the
| steward, who takes the wretched apples, wormy
| prunes and the faded dry goods because they are
| sent by Harrison and Gapen and their friends"
| is IL Roth. his assistant. who pro-
| tests against these vile supplies being furnished
| to the insane7 Is it the present board who, at
| their meeting only few days since. made one
| more butter contract with John K. Sullivan for
| his particular variety of "best creamery" at III
cents, or is it Fletcher, the superintendent who
SO often tried in vain to have the miserable
| ticle furnished by this man rejected This evil
dence from Nashville is much the same in
| character that furnished to the SEN
| ate committee to sustain Mr.. Hall Some
of the indicators" of this gentleman must
have examined his work with telescope, if at
all For instance Kyle, the time-keeper, who
works in the front Office in an entirely different
part of the building, swears that Hall exercises
care in receiving goods, to see thas they come in
tho right way (588). Could q spy-glass of
sufficient power be brought to bear upon Mr..
Hall and other asylum authorities, might
find indicators of the same sort examining their
conduct from the city of Indianapolis, and the
competency of the present manaeement would
be quite conclusive. There Professor
Holcomb, former Superintendent of Public In
struction, and excellent man. He was
brought before the committee to vindicate Mr..
Hall. and asked whether, when Hall was county
superintendent, he made his reports .1t regularly
never made reports to me State Superintend-
emit. While / was clerk the depart
ment. / do not remember that Mr. Halls reports
were not promptly made and in proper condition
and force. Of course, handled great many
papers"
about it.
Question-As far as your knowledge goes of
the man, will ask you whether he q com
peteDt manf
Answer-Certainly, as far as know.
Odd you ever see Mr.. Hall in the perform
ance of his duties at the asylum2
Al don't know that did.
After reading this testimony who fail to
regard Mr. Hall as vindicatedl
The Hon Franklin Landers, the yender of the
celebrated drove OF one hundred hogs which has
now passed into history, is also asked whether
he regards Mr. Hall as a competent and an hon.
est business man.
Answer-I always thought So Mr. Hall ia a
MIA pa WI I mas m nd
think he is scholar sufficient to transact any
business.
1t seems pity that from such high authority
as this the statement that Mr. Hall was gem
tleman and a scholar could not have been sup
plemented by third attribute even dearer to
the heart of that class of politicians which has
been running the asylum for the past four years.
Another spy glass vindicator is Renihan, who
says: II do not think ever was in the store
house. | was in the refrigerator"
Question-You saw Mr.. Hall performing his
duties out thereE
Answer-Yes sir.
Q.-You judge that he is competent for his
placs from personal observationf
A.-Yes. sir
Q.-The way you saw him perform his duties
out theref
Ayes. sir.
question that might occur to a skeptical man
would be, how long MIR. Hall and Mr.. Renihan
jointly supported the temperature Of the refrg-
orator while Mr.. Hall was so faithfully perform
ing his duties. Possibly Mr.. Hall worked SO
hard that he was thus able 20 keep out the cold.
But how was it with REMNANT
Joseph F. Ship is possibly the funniest case
of all. He states that with a slight exception
everythiug that was sent out there by the firm
which he represented was accepted by Mr. Hall
Question-Therefore, you regard him a COM
petont stewards
Answer-Yes, sir. so far rs our transactions
concerned, / should say so.
OF course.
AS answer to a score of specific acts OF mis-
management and corruption verified by uncon-
tradicted proof such testimony, we'll this
certificate from Nashville, is rather amusing.
The reformers do not object to being showed
up in just this way Moreover. if the "men in
charge wise and competent" why remove
theml Why does the Governor turn out Har-
rison and Gapen2 VIII the Sentinel Jack